Love and gender: A tale of two towns

check this news item (its a rough translation, so look at the spirit and dont go by the words):

Jupaadu Bangla, May 20 (Online): Kurnool district, Gonegandla mandal, Ganjahalli resident Nagalakshmi and Jupaadu Bangla mandal, K. Chaabolu village resident Bhuvaneswari, both of them used to work at Naguladinne RBC Centre near Emmigunnuru as caretakers. Soon their friendship turned into love and centre inchargers discovered this and removed them from work.

After that Bhuvaneswari went to her relative’s house in Hyderabad. Nagalakshmi also went there and both of them lived together for three months. When the parents of Nagalakshmi came to know about this, they suggested them to stay close by near Emmigunnuru. Later in order to hide their relationship, Nagalakshmi changed her name to Nitishkumar Reddy, cut her hair, started wearing a cap along with phants and shirt just like a man and was working in a tea shop. Meanwhile Bhuvaneswari was working in a private school. They lived like this for three years and ‘Nitish’ bought a gold thaali (sacred thread worn by woman as symbol of marriage) also his/her wife.

Suddenly, Bhuvaneswari  left the home on Tuesday and went to her mother. Nobody knows what happened. On Wednesday ‘Nitish’ came to lover’s house and requested her to come back to him/her. But Bhuvaneswari refused. Upon this ‘Nitish’ started urging the villagers showing their photographs, thaali, to send Bhuvaneswari along with her/him or s/he will commit suicide. Confused and not knowing what to do, the villagers took the couple to Jupaadu Bangla police station. There also Sub-Inspector Sommanna did know what to do. The SI said that after much deliberations only thing he can do is summon the respective parents of both the girls and send the girls along with their parents.

Andhra Jyothi, Bangalore, Thursday, page. 3, May 21, 2009.

Another News Item on similar lines.

Devarakonda/Pedda Adisarlapalli, March 28 (Online): Dunna Anitha is studying ninth standard. Koppolu Rajamma is friendly with Anitha and is always dressed as a boy. Their five year old friendship turned into love and they decided to live together forever through marriage. Since the elders did not agree, they ran away from home. Finally the parents complained in Gudipalli police station that their daughters are missing. But both of them categorically stated to the police that they want to marry each other. They told ‘online’ that they will die if they don’t marry each other.

Nalgonda district, Pedda Adisarlapalli Mandal, Vaddipatla village.

Andhra Jyothi, Bengaluru, page. 5, March 29, 2012